Once the "reverse" and "forward" auctions have both been completed and TV licenses have all been tucked away in their newly-compacted space, the fun will really begin for the Commission.… Continue Reading
The "forward" auction the FCC plans to use to dole out reconfigured spectrum to wireless operators may seem traditional, but watch out.… Continue Reading
Once the final participants in the repacking of the TV band have been identified through the "reverse" auction process, the shuffling of stations necessary to accomplish the repacking will raise a number of practical considerations and conundrums.… Continue Reading
Whether or not you plan to participate in the "reverse" auction, if you're a TV licensee, you should be aware of what the FCC has in mind for the spectrum around you.… Continue Reading
An overview of the FCC's proposed approach to spectrum-clearing/spectrum-repopulating incentive auctions and some of the myriad factors at play in that process.… Continue Reading
It's official! President Obama has signed the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 into law, clearing the way for an elaborate incentive auction process intended to free up spectrum (including TV spectrum) for mobile broadband.… Continue Reading
With passage of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act, incentive auctions for spectrum repurposing have taken a great leap forward.… Continue Reading
Despite - or, supposedly, because of - its own 2010 TV channel-sharing proposal, FCC has summarily rejected a similar approach that's been pending since 2008.… Continue Reading
The Senate Commerce Committee has passed S.911 -- a bipartisan bill which includes provisions for incentive spectrum auctions and "reclaiming" of TV spectrum -- and sent it along to the full Senate. But it still leaves a lot of questions unanswered.… Continue Reading
In a terse public notice, the Media Bureau has announced a freeze on "the acceptance of rulemaking petitions to change television channels", effective immediately.… Continue Reading
Ask about the spectrum inventory the FCC has supposedly conducted and the Commission points you to two "tools" on its website -- but the FCC's website itself casts serious doubt on the utility of those tools and the accuracy of any results they might produce.… Continue Reading
Where there's a will, there's a way. According to a surprise announcement released early on April 1, the Commission is proceeding with incentive auctions "promptly", thanks to a new "Incentive Auction Incentive Program" that eliminates the need for Congressional authorization.… Continue Reading
While the FCC dangles the possibility of shared auction proceeds to generate support for TV spectrum re-purposing, there's one nagging problem: the FCC doesn't have the statutory authority to share those proceeds. But three bills introduced in Congress this session might resolve that problem.… Continue Reading
The Chief of the Media Bureau recently spoke to broadcasters, preaching the gospel of incentive auctions. His message: We come in peace, with broadcasters' interests at heart. Broadcasters might be forgiven if, at least for now, they opt for skepticism over unquestioning acceptance.… Continue Reading
As far as the FCC is concerned, it's apparently full speed ahead with the effort to encourage TV broadcasters to relinquish their spectrum so that it can be used to further the National Broadband Plan. The Commission has informally announced a series of webinars promoting the concept.… Continue Reading
Comment deadlines have just been set in the proceeding which would pave the way for the re-purposing of TV spectrum for broadband use.… Continue Reading
That muffled sound you might have heard on November 30 was the opening barrage in the long-anticipated struggle to revamp the TV spectrum.… Continue Reading
Chairman Genachowski recently took to the pages of the Washington Post in defense of the FCC's broadband initiative. FHH's Peter Tannenwald now takes to CommLawBlog.com with a decidedly different perspective on that initiative.… Continue Reading
Those of you awaiting the unveiling of the FCC's plan for re-purposing TV spectrum may want to get warmed up by leafing through two reports just issued by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).… Continue Reading
The FCC's planned agenda for its November 30 meeting serves up items likely to cause such a huge stir that we all might need a little advance warning.… Continue Reading
